Automatic stop for phonograph mechanisms



May 16, 1944. H. A. ROE

AUTOMATIC STOP FOR PHONOGR-APH MECHANISM Filed Jan. 27, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheefl FIG-1 INVENTOR. HOW/7RD /9. P05.

ATTORNEY.

16, 19. ROE

AUTOMATIC STOP FOR PHONOGRAPH MECHANISM Filed Jan. 27, 1942 2 SheetsSheet-2 INVENTOR. flan ma /4- P05.

W Y B m3 ATTORNEX Patented May -AUTOMATIC. STOP FOR PBONOGRAPH I I MECHANISMS Howard Roe, El'yria, Ohio, assignor to The v General Industries Company, Elyria, Ohio, a

' corporation of Ohio Application January 27, 1942, Serial No. 428,389 3 Claims. (01. 192-120 My invention relates to phonograph mechanisms and relates more particularly to an automatic stop for phonograph mechanisms of the record changer type.

It is an object of my invention to provide an automatic stop for a phonograph record changer which will permit the playing of a definite number of records of a group and then stop the machine, the machine being preset so that such automatic stop may function at the proper predetermined moment.

Another object of my invention is to provide an automatic stop for phonograph record changers which will be economical in manufacture, eflicient in use, and composed of but few parts.

Another object of my invention is to provide an automatic stop for phonograph machines of the type known as the record changer" type, wherein a plurality of records are placed in succession and are successively dropped upon the playing surface in a predetermined order.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved automatic stop for record changers of the type referred to which may be preset when the records of the stack are arranged so that the machine may automatically stop when the required number of records are played.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for presetting an automatic stop for a phonograph mechanism of the type referred to whereby said phonograph mechanism may become inoperative for further playing purposes until the machine is again started at the end of a predetermined interval.

Another object of my invention is to enumerate the number of records which have been played at the end of each record changing operation whereby the presetting means may record the number of records played so that the automatic stop may function at its preset moment.

Other objects of my invention and the invention itself will become more apparent from a perusal of the accompanying drawings and the following description thereof, in which drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view, partially in elevation, of a phonograph mechanism of the type with which the automatic stop of my invention is to be associated;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view, partially in elevation, showing the improved automatic stop of my invention associated with the record changer of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the portion of Fig. 2 showing the automatic stop in another operative position from that illustrated in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line li of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, in all of which like parts are designated by like reference characters, at i I show a phonograph record changing mechanism of the type illustrated in a co-pending application for Letters Patent filed March 27, 1940, bearing Serial No. 326,195, which comprises generally a tone arm 2, a turntable 3 upon which a record 4 is placed and upon which the tone arm or reproducing arm 2 is adapted to travel, said turntable adapted to be driven by, a rim drive element '5 through a lever B and cam element 1 by means of a motor 8 carried by said machine.

The automatic stop of my invention comprises, as is best illustrated in Figs. 2-, 3 and 4, a numbered dial Ill, a switch H, a ratchet wheel i2, an indent spring i 3, a ratcheting lever i4 and means 15 forming a part of the moving mechanism functioning during the interval between the playing of one record and the start of another. The dial Ill and ratchet wheel I2 are carried, by a hearing it having a short length of shaft I! mounted thereon, said shaft being projected through the base plate 20 for said turntable and secured to a mounting plate 2!, the dial being carried by the upper end of said shaft and the ratchet wheel being carried by the lower end of said shaft, the dial it], which is in the form of a knob and the shaft and ratchet wheel turning as a unit. v

It is to be noted that the numerals on the dial are equally spaced with the teeth in the ratchet wheel whereby each tooth corresponds to a certain number on the dial. The indent spring l3 which is mounted upon the mounting plate 2! by means of pins or rivets or the like 22, as shown in Fig. 3, is provided with a V-shaped free end 23 which is adapted to contact the ratchet wheel and to fit in between adjacent teeth whereby the wheel may be held in position between stops, said V-shaped end of the indent spring l3 being adapted to be moved in either direction I 'a sumcient distance to come in line with the lever the switch will be turned on and off when thisparticular'tooth engages the fork as the wheel is rotated Lin onedirection or another. The ratchet wheel I! .is operated by the lever I! having a. lip turned up on the end, as ,viewed moved in either direction by reason of the movement of the ratchet wheel, a ratchet lever operatively associated with the record changing mechanism and adapted to ratchet said ratchet ,wheel, the toggle lever engagingsaid oil'set tooth of saidratchet wheel at a predetermined point in 2,- anddown turned lifiviewed in Fig. 4, asgatg z9,};to'engage fthe teeth-'onthewheel. This lever, carries astud 21 with aflflat head which travels in-a slot 28*in the mounting plate 2|.

This slot is so shaped that the stud follows the oil position is, as has been shown, cut away to the extent that the lever M will not contact the tooth whereby any damage is eliminated should the lever be operated by any error when the dial placed on the machine and the dial turned to a number corresponding to the number of records desired played. However, when the dial is turned to the switch is turned "on and the machine therefore starts, and further rotation indicates the number of records being played.

After the first record has been played, the record changing operation takes place. This operation, in the particular embodiment illustrated herein, oscillates the ratcheting lever Id which engages the ratchet teeth turning the ratchet wheel l2 and dial back one division. This is repeated as many times as the dial may be set for and after the last cycle, the switch is engaged by the fork 25. The dial, itcan readily be understood, at all times indicates the number of records which are yet to be played at any time during the playing period. In the event that the dial is set for a predetermined number of records and, the operator desires to change the number of records to be played, the dial and ratchet unit may be readjusted and set to the corrected number without interruption of the playing cycle and the switch will be turned ofi after the lapse oil the newly predetermined interval.

Having thus described my invention in a particular embodiment, I am aware that the same may be modified within the range of mechanical skill, and may take widely varying forms within the purview of my invention.

Iclaim:

i. In an automatic phonograph mechanism of thetype wherein diflerent records of a stack may be periodically individually placed upon a phonoat the other end thereof, said wheel comprising a plurality of ratchet teeth and at least one of said teeth being voiiset. said shaft being projected through, a. mounting plate for said phonograph "turntable andfbeing positioned adjacent to said switch, anindent spring having thefree end thereof 'diSl bsed to contact said ratchet wheel and'to. eng sesaid wheel between adjacent teeth thereof, said indent sprinpgbeing adapted to be the rotation of, said ratchet wheel, the initial setting of the dial, positioning its associated ratchet wheel in such manner that when a predetermined numberof records have been played the switch turns the current on.

' 2. In an automatic phonograph mechanism of the type whereindiflerent records of a stack may be periodically individually placed upon a phonograph turntable by virtue of a record changing mechanism associated therewith,

. switch means adapted to be associated with said record changing mechanism for turning motor current on and oil whereby said turntable is rotatably moved or stopped, a toggle lever comprising a part of said switch means, a shaft carrying a manually operated dial at one end thereof and a ratchet wheel at the other end, said dial bearing indicia thereon to indicate the number of records in the stack, said dial being set after the switch is turned on to indicate the number of records of the stack desired played by moving the dial to the number corresponding to the indicia indicating the last record of the stack which is to be played, said dial, said ratchet wheel and said shaft being operable as a unit, the indicia on the dial being equally spaced with the teeth in the ratchet wheel, an indent spring contacting-the ratchet wheel and locking the wheel in position after a ratchet lever operatively associated with the record changing mechanism and adapted to ratchet said ratchet wheel moves said ratchet wheel shaft and dial unit a definite spaced movement each interval between the end of one record and the playing of the next, said indent spring being adapted to be moved further by the movement of the ratchet wheel eflected by manual operation of the dial to a different indicating position, the toggle lever engaging said offset tooth of said ratchet wheel when the required number of records for which said dial was set or reset have been played whereby the switch is automatically operated to disconnect the motor current.

3. In an automatic phonograph mechanism of the type wherein diiferent records of a stack; may be periodically individually placed upon a phonograph turntable by virtue of a record changing mechanism associated therewith, switch means adapted to be associated with said record changing mechanism for turning motor current on and oil whereby said turntable is rotatably moved or stopped, a toggle lever comprising a part of said switch means, a shaft carrying a manually operated dial at one end thereof and a ratchet wheel at the other end, said dial bearing indicia thereon to indicate the number of records in the stack, said dial being set after the switch is turned on to indicate the number of records of the stack desired played by moving the dial to the number corresponding to the indicia indicating the last record of the stack which is to be played, said dial, said ratchet wheel and said shaft being operable as a unit, the indicia on the dial being equally spaced with the teeth in the ratchet wheel, an indent spring, a mounting plate for said ratchet and switch means, said shaft being projected therethrough and said switch being carried thereby, secured to said mounting plate and contacting to ratchet said ratchet wheel a deflnitelsp'aced movement each intervalbetween the end or one record and the playing of the next; s'aidindent the motor current.

spring being adapted to be moved further by the movement of the ratchet wheel effected by manual operation of the dial to a different indicating position, the toggle lever engaging an offset tooth of said ratchet wheel when the required number of records for which said dial was set or reset have been played whereby the switch is automatically operated to disconnect HOWARD A. ROE. 

